Of Assassinations and Reunions
by snowtigress-27
Summary: A series of dreams, an unbearable pain. Rose and the Meta-Crisis know something's wrong. But who's behind it, and more importantly will they make it in time? Naturally we all know the answer to the second one. 11/Rose or maybe 10.5/Rose. I haven't decided
1. Chapter 1

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**Pete's World—The Beginning of the End**

Rose walked the empty halls of the Tardis, stumbling in the darkness. Her hands clung to the rail, the knuckles surely white. The lights were gone, extinguished and she was beginning to think that perhaps the Tardis itself was flickering out. Fingers brushed the cold coral walls, searching for any sign of life. There was nothing. Her bare feet slapped against the floor as she started into a frantic run.

"Doctor!" she cried.

Everywhere she turned was darkness. It was impossible to find her way through the twisting labyrinth that was the Tardis. She sped up, whimpering whenever she tripped over herself, but she pushed on. She had to find him. He had to be there. Faster and faster she ran, desperately calling out his name. Tears stained her cheeks, and his name turned to sobs in her throat. She sunk to her knees, lost in utter despair. He was gone.

* * *

><p>Rose woke suddenly, her breath heavy and fast. Sweat tickled her neck and her palms were absolutely soaked. She sat stock still, thrusting away the loneliness and loss of her dream as her breathing gradually slowed. When her trembling subsided, she reached for her phone, dialing the first and only number she could use at a time like this.<p>

John's side picked up, and she started before he even had a chance to speak.

"It's the Doctor, John."

* * *

><p>John ambled around his apartment, grabbing a nail from the wall, and book here, a wad of tape there. Nearly midnight, and he still was going at a million miles an hour. Half human though he was, John only slept for five hours a day, give or take a few. The rest of the night was filled with his 'creativity time' as Pete called it. Everyday, From ten at night until two in the morning, John worked ceaselessly on his projects. He was currently working on a revolutionary steering mechanism for Torchwood's planned time machine. Granted, he could have whipped up a wrist model of a vortex manipulator faster than they could make the body of their silly machine, but he was determined not to accelerate Earth's scientific capabilities too much.<p>

Two minutes to twelve, as John was stripping down an old computer, his heart leaped unexpectedly in his chest. He clapped a hand to his chest, frozen with shock. That's when the the searing pain pounded in his head. Crying out in agony, he fell against the couch. For several moments, he struggled against himself and the pain ripping through his body, until he finally regained control. His hand shook as he ran it through his hair. His eyes were tightly closed perhaps to ward off the terrible image he had seen just moments before.

A soft ringing in his pocket pulled him away from his dark thoughts. He breathed a sigh of relief to see it was Rose calling. If anyone could make him feel better, put his fears to rest, it was Rose. However, the moment he heard her tear-filled voice, he knew it was only the beginning.

"It's the Doctor, John."

"I know," he whispered. "He's dying.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **Okay, first off an apology to my 100 songs people. I know I'm being slow, and this... whatever it is, is just making me slower. I really want to have this done before the sixth season, and I don't know how motivated I'll be so I have to get as much of it done as soon as I can. More details will come with the next chapter. But for now, just know this is my precious theory, that I've nurtured and developed with much love and pride. What that theory is... you'll catch on pretty quick.


	2. Chapter 2

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**The Tardis—To River**

Amy idly spun her wedding ring around her finger, tapping her feet against the console. The Doctor was working down underneath, his face dirt and his sleeves pushed up past his elbows. Rory was in back in the kitchen presumably getting a snack of some sort. Meanwhile she sat in boredom and boredom did not sit well with Amelia Pond.

"Doctor, can we go?"she whined.

"What?" he asked, popping up his head.

She rolled her eyes, smiling a little. "Can we go somewhere now?"

The Doctor ruffled his hair, looking sideways at her. "Well..."

"You always want to go somewhere!"she complained. "Don't you dare tell me you're not in the mood."

"I wasn't going to say that," he said, climbing up to the main level. "Where do you want to go?"

She paused, grinning mischievously. "I want to see River."

He stared at her for a moment, and she laughed aloud at his half horrific face.

"Every time we see her, something goes wrong," he moaned.

"Oh come on, at least we haven't had anything bad as the Pandorica lately," Amy said, smiling widely. "Plus, nothing bad happened last time. I thought your little moment was cute."

"That's what went wrong," the Doctor said, shuddering. "Gandalf, remember?"

She gave him a very smug look, knowing full well that the whole space-Gandalf was the biggest load of lies he ever spouted. River seemed to think so too.

"I don't know what she's told you, but I am not..." he paused, squinting at her. "What has she told you?"

Amy shrugged innocently, loving her sudden sense of control. Little did he know, that River hadn't told him anything more than he had.

He scrutinized her a minute more, but she was confident he couldn't read anything but perhaps a bit of self-satisfied arrogance in her face. Eventually he sighed loudly, and moved to the console.

"I can't guarantee we find her, and if we do I can't be certain where in her time stream we'll land. I've been keeping record in the Tardis archives though, and it seems to me, that we might not meet her very many times more, which means we're likely to run into her earlier during her time stream as I seem to be missing one or two pieces in between the time she first met us and the time in January. Other than that though, I'm not sure we'll ever meet her again."

"What?" Amy cried. "But you haven't married her yet!"

"So she did tell you something," he crowed, but his eyes were slightly troubled.

"Well... not in so many words, but it's clear as day," she muttered, angry at giving herself away.

"Rest assured, Pond," he said teasingly, "I am not going to marry River."

"You don't really believe that though, do you?" she asked. "And it scares you doesn't it."

The Doctor stared her straight in the eyes, and she took an instinctive step back. He really was frightening sometimes.

"It is a possibility, but I don't like it," he said simply, though his voice was dark in tone.

"Why not?"

"I told you, by my records, I don't see any huge gaps which need filled, leading me to believe River and I won't meet very often again. There is space where I _could_ marry her, but I don't know why I would."

"Because you love her, and she loves you," Amy said. "That's why most people get married."

"I don't," the Doctor said, shuffling his feet a little nervously. "Attraction? Sure. Curiosity. you bet. I even get married to save the world now and again, but as a rule, I nevermarry for love."

Amy stared at him in shock and confusion. Shock that he would confide in her (but really after two and a half years of traveling with him, she learned that he would tell her just about anything under the right circumstance), but confusion at his words themselves. What kind of person married for every reason but love? Certainly, she never would have thought that the Doctor was such a person. Well, not never. There was that whole thing with Marilyn Monroe and then again with that brunette on Planet 9, which of course made her question, but on the whole, the Doctor seemed like someone who would play true to his heart(s).

"But... you do love her?" Amy asked hesitantly, still stunned.

He shrugged. "Sure, but then I love you too."

"That's different," she said. "Do you love River in that heart breaking, can't-get-enough-of-her sort of way?"

"I don't love people like that very often, Amy," the Doctor explained sadly. "I don't actually know if I still can. With River, I like fighting with her, I love the way I hate how much she knows, and I worry for her and want her safe. But could I marry her, spend my life with her?" He shrugged again. "It would take me a lot more time, properly ordered time, to truly know."

Amy hugged him tightly, silently wondering at the pain in his voice. Very often he had said. Her instincts told her that it _had _happened before, and perhaps not so very long ago. Still, she didn't dare pry when she had already gotten more than she expected out of him. He pulled away, but she kissed his cheek as he let her go. He smiled gratefully, and then it was as if nothing had happened at all.

"Go get Rory," the Doctor ordered. "And you might want to grab a raincoat. It rains more often than not at the Stormcage."

"We're visiting her in prison?" Amy asked with a quirked eyebrow.

The Doctor laughed, shaking his head. "The planet isn't just a prison. River lived there for quite some time before she was imprisoned. If we're lucky she'll be around. Now go on."

Amy grinned and skipped down the hall to find Rory. She was glad to finally be on the move, but she had a feeling her mind would be preoccupied during the entire trip.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **So now we get the basic stage set. The story takes place about a year and half after the end of the fifth season. Originally, when I planned this, it was meant to take place later. Amy and Rory weren't in it, and I was playing with the idea of the Doctor being in his 12th incarnation. That way River and the Doctor could have had more time to fill in the gaps. However, I think it fits a little more realistically in the time period I ultimately chose especially when you think about him still having feelings for Rose. Personally, I believe he would never stop loving her and that's why I didn't mind setting it later. Logically though, I realize he would move on eventually. The fact that River's identity gets revealed in season six was a big factor in ultimately deciding to move the time up. I also figured that a year and a half was long enough, they probably would have run into River a lot anyway. So yeah, there's a little more background explanation. Next chapter should be up tomorrow as I managed to get two chapters done today, not including this one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**The Stormcage—Frantic**

Rose stepped out of the Tardis and into a rain drenched world. Tall silver trees spiraled to the sea-green sky and the buildings all had a layer of spongy moss growing on the outside. In any other situation, she would have gasped and fawned over the beauty, clutching tightly at John's arm just like it was the old days. At the moment, she had little enough room in her mind for anything but worry for the Doctor.

"We had better hurry," John said, taking her hand in his. "My heart is missing half it's beats."

"That's bad?" she asked, looking up into his face.

He nodded. "It means he's almost out of time."

Rose bit her lip, and gripped his hand even tighter. John stood still for a minute trying to decide where they should go. She could just barely feel the brush of his mind against hers as he reached out, looking for signs of the Doctor. He tugged her hand, stepping forward just as she caught sight of a vaguely familiar face hooded by a bright yellow raincoat.

"John, wait," Rose said quietly, pointing at the couple across the way who had stopped to stare at them. "That girl, I know her... I saw her in the dreams."

"Do you trust her?"

"I think she's his companion. She could help," Rose said, watching his face while he deliberated what to do.

"I can barely trace him. If she knows where he's at we could get there much faster," he said.

"Then I suggest we talk to her," she replied.

She crossed the muddy street, John in tow, to where the couple stood watching them incredulously. She gathered it was probably the shock of seeing a second Tardis. That was certainly something she never would have expected to see.

"Amy," Rose said, her voice shaking. "Please, we need your help."

"Who are you?" the man asked. Rose looked at his face, wet despite his hood. She didn't know him, but the way his arm wrapped protectively around Amy's waist told her all she really needed to know.

"My name is Rose," she answered. She continued before John could introduce himself, not that he really wanted to anyway. The way he nervously glanced towards the woods let her know they didn't have time to waste. "The Doctor is in trouble, we have to find him before it's too late."

Amy watched her carefully; Rose wondered briefly what she saw. A desperate face, most likely stained with tears and mascara, etched with fear but firm and determined. She hoped it was a face worth trusting.

"You... you traveled with him, didn't you?" she asked after a moment. "I've seen your face a few times."

Rose was slightly taken aback, but she didn't stop to question it. "Yes. Please, do you know where he is?"

"He left with River a little while ago," the man said with a shrug.

"River?" John asked. "River Song?"

Amy nodded, narrowing her eyes a little as she regarded him for the first time. Rose prayed Amy would see enough of the Doctor in him to trust him as quickly as she had trusted Rose. "And who are you?"

John glanced at Rose, not quite sure how to answer. She watched, curious to see how he would answer. In the beginning, he used to always introduce himself as Doctor John Smith or sometimes just the Doctor. Over time he had shifted, now he rarely if ever referred to himself as the Doctor. Secretly, Rose suspected he did it for her, though she would have preferred calling him the Doctor any day. It brought him closer to her.

Turning back to Amy, he finally answered. "I'm the Doctor, sort of."

Rose could tell Amy didn't really believe it or at least she didn't understand it, but at least she didn't argue. To herself, she sighed in relief, proud of John for stepping back into his identity.

"Do you know where they went?" Rose questioned, feeling in increased sense of urgency even as John's hand tightened around hers.

Amy shrugged, but the man beside her pointed to an older lady just exiting the largest building.

"She knows River," he said. "She might be able to help you."

Rose and John left with many profound thank yous as they ran over to the woman. She had silver hair bagging in her face as the rain washed out the curl, and sharp blue eyes that betrayed the vitality the wrinkled skin hid.

"Please, can you take us to River?" Rose asked, not even bothering with introductions.

The woman nodded silently, and set off at a quick pace that defied her old age. Rose and John followed, trotting to keep up.

"River lives about a mile and a half in," the old lady said, as they set off down a path through the forest. "She much prefers to be left on her own, I must say I was surprised when she invited the Doctor down as if they were the best bosom friends. Fact of the matter is, she really _doesn't _like him. Even before she met him, she never had a good word to say for the man."

"She knew about him before they met?" John asked, intrigued by the woman's story.

"Oh, aye," she said. "He had done our planet a great service back in the old days. I was just out of the cradle then. The stories have been passed down though, and he's beloved by all. Well excepting River of course. But that's not really her fault. She was trained by old Father Stone you see. He was an outsider like her, but he had lived here for ages. He claimed to have personally worked with the Doctor before, and he said the Doctor wasn't half of what we all thought he was. Naturally nobody listened much to his stories, but River did. She was practically raised by the man. Mind you, after Father Stone left, and she got into archeology, she learned to keep her opinions to herself. Still, we all expected her to change after she met him a few months earlier. He even saved her life."

"But she didn't change?" Rose had a feeling River was the prime suspect in the murder they were here to prevent. John's tenseness only encouraged her suspicions.

"Well, that's hard to say." the lady answered, brushing rain from her face. "It seems to me that maybe she's fighting herself, a battle she's bound to lose. She's determined to hate him, for Father Stone's sake, but after what he did for her... it's hard to hate him so much anymore I think."

"Perhaps she knows she shouldn't hate him, which only drives her to hate him more," John suggested. "That sort of hate won't last, but when it's there, it's powerful enough to drive a person to do things. Things they never would do normally."

The woman, gave him an odd look, and Rose had to hide a laugh in her hand. "Aye, could be I suppose. River's not the kind to hold a grudge though. She's a sweet girl. Her team can tell you that, she'd protect them to death."

"Oh, I don't doubt it," John said, seemingly far away for the moment. Rose could only guess at what he was thinking, what he was remembering. "She's also very loyal, and I imagine loyalty to the man who raised her is pretty strong."

"To be sure," the woman agreed, nodding sagely. "She would go to the ends of the earth for Father Stone."

John leaned close to Rose, whispering, "If she's the killer, you can be sure, it's under this Father Stone's direction. The River I knew... she was dangerous, yes, but she wouldn't kill me, him, not in cold blood."

"It helps that she doesn't know the Doctor yet," Rose whispered back. "All she knows is a lifetime of poison against the Doctor."

"That and when he saved her life,"John said. "Maybe that will be enough to change her mind."

Rose looked up into his face, checking his expression against his words. What he said was hopeful, but he looked grim. She dropped her gaze, despair welling inside. If he had no hope, what did that mean?

"This as far as I'll go. Just keep following the path," the woman directed. "My joints don't take the full trip very well anymore."

"Thank you so much," Rose said sincerely, to which the old lady smiled.

"You're welcome, dear," she paused to pierce Rose with those bright blue eyes. "You have a special heart, very good, very strong. Use it."

She turned around without another word, and disappeared in the foliage. Rose turned to John a question in her eyes, but he merely shrugged. She looked down the path to where she last saw the lady, sad to see her go. She reminded Rose of her Grandma Tyler. Reminiscent and slightly rambly but sweet and strong.

John pulled on her hand, reminding her what they came for. As they started down the path again, a scream rent the air and John fell to his knees in pain.

"John!" Rose cried, dropping down beside him.

She held his head in her hands, trying to calm him down. His breath was fast and heavy, and he was shaking under her touch. She met his eyes, tight with pain, forcing him to focus.

"The Doctor, get to the Doctor," he gasped. "He needs a shot in both hearts."

"Where are they?" Rose asked. "The syringes?"

"Breast pocket," he replied. "Now, go!"

Rose kissed him quickly, frantically meeting his eyes one more time before she took off at a dead run. Today, she would have to be the doctor.

* * *

><p><strong>AN** Well this probably makes the theory significantly clearer. We're not quite there yet, but we're close. I meant to post this earlier, but apparently fanfic had (has?) some issues with the login thing. Right, so I've been meaning to tell you because I was/am in a hurry to get this done, I skipped some of the story. Nothing crucial mind, but just detail type things. Someday I might get around to filling this out, getting the stuff in between, you know. However, I'm slightly lazy and rarely do anything more than I have to, which means I probably will never get around to the filler stuff. Good news is though, the more I go along I'm likely to put more detail in. Anyway, you'll get the story, detailed or otherwise. Thanks all of you!


	4. Chapter 4

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**The Stormcage—Spoilers**

The Doctor stopped at the edge of the clearing, watching River with sad eyes. Granted this was not the River he knew, but it broke his hearts to see the anger and pain she held. He could see the gun tucked into her belt, smell the tension rolling off her and it didn't take much to put together everything she had ever told him, all the little phrases he had previously overlooked. She was going to kill him.

"River," he said softly. "If you really have to do it, I only request you do it out here. Your home doesn't deserve to house your guilt as well."

River turned around slowly, snapping out her gun as she went. Her eyes were full of rage, but lurking just behind that he could sense a feeling of regret building inside her. Maybe it wasn't all lost yet, he could still talk her out of it.

"How long have you known?" she asked.

"Only a few minutes," he replied.

"And you didn't run?"

"It wouldn't have done me any good," the Doctor explained. "and I never would have gotten an answer."

"You haven't asked a question," she snapped.

"It's simple really," he said thoughtfully. "Almost a given considering the circumstance. Why?"

"It's my job, my duty," River answered.

"You're an archaeologist, not an assassin."

"Sometimes I have to be both," she replied angrily. "What does it matter to you?"

"I know you River," he began, his voice quiet, gentle. "This is not you."

"You don't know who I am!" she cried. "All those times you met me, none of it matters. The whole time, I will know I've killed you and everything I do will be a lie. A gimmick to gain your trust and bring you to this moment."

"Maybe it starts that way," he said, shaking his head, "but it won't end that way. You'll trust me explicitly, put your life in my hands time and time again. You become my best friend. You will know me as few people know me. You might even come to love me. Don't do this to yourself. Kill me now and you'll spend your entire life regretting it."

"That's why it has to be this way. Kill you before I know you, and I can never change it, no matter how well I come to know you and how much I come to regret it," she said.

"River, would you stop and listen to yourself?" he begged, opening his palms to her. "You _know _ this is wrong. Don't do it."

River's hand trembled and a single tear slipped down her cheek. "I'm sorry," she whispered, before pulling the trigger, once, twice, in quick succession.

The Doctor screamed in agony as the bullets ripped through his chest. Those were no normal bullets, but even if they had been he wouldn't have stood a chance. He fell without feeling the stones digging into his skin. Writhing on the ground, he looked up into River's tear stained face.

"Who are you working for?" he asked through gritted teeth.

She silently shook her head, slumping against the wall of her home."I just shot you," she said almost inaudibly. "Obviously I'm more dedicated than you thought."

The Doctor felt hot stinging tears, mixing with the pelting rain and he knew he wasn't going to live through this. When his hearts stopped beating, he would be gone for good, no regeneration, nothing. His thoughts flew to Amy and Rory. They would be trapped here without him to take them home. Trapped like Rose and the Meta-Crisis on the parallel world, trapped like Donna in her own mind, and trapped like River in her guilt. Maybe River was right in killing him. Maybe it was a just punishment for the pain he caused.

Suddenly, his thoughts were back in the library. River was showing off her sonic screwdriver along with the Tardis notebook. She was flirting and calling him pretty. She was whispering his name in his ear. She was dying so that he might live, only to be killed years later at her own hand. None of that could happen if he didn't trust her, if she didn't know his name. His eyes flashed open and he looked directly at River, forcing himself to think, to speak.

"River," she glanced up, surprised that he was still alive no doubt. "River, listen to me. Years from now you're going to meet a me that has never met you before. He won't trust you at all, but he needs to. If he doesn't trust you countless lives will be lost. He _has_ to trust you. As further encouragement for you, if he doesn't trust you then, he will never make it to this point for you to kill him, to kill me."

She stared mutely at him, likely thinking he had lost it. Still, as long as she was listening. He had to make her understand.

"All you have to do is tell him one word, one single word. He won't like it, and it will set him speculating for years to come. But it's as simple as that."

"I just tell him the word?" she asked hesitantly.

"Tell him the word, and..." he paused, reaching into his coat pocket for the screwdriver. "and you'll want this. It was designed with you in mind."

River scooted closer, taking the sonic screwdriver from his bloodied hands. Her eyes went wide with recognition the minute she realized what she held in her hand. She would have been even more in awe if she knew that no one, _no one_ ever got the sonic screwdriver. He smirked inwardly to himself. Well at least he now knew she was telling him truth when she said she didn't steal it from his dead hand... sort of.

"What's the word?"

He leaned in close whispering his name in her ear in clear concise syllables. He repeated it just to make sure, and then dropped back on his side.

"Now say it back so I know you've got it," he instructed.

She said it perfectly if a bit hesitantly. The Doctor made her say it another three or four times before he was satisfied. He rested his head, closing his eyes in relief. Finally he had the answers, well all but the man who was truly behind this. That was something he would never find out.

"You might want to write it down too," he suggested, his voice weak and cracked. By all appearances he was fading fast. He might make it another minute maybe two. Personally, he was hoping for one or at least that he would pass out in one. He didn't want to take the burning pain in his chest any longer than he had to.

"But I don't understand," River said, "What does it mean?"

He smiled, feeling just the slightest ounce of happiness even as all went black around him. "Spoilers."

* * *

><p><strong>AN **And thus the theory is revealed, well most of it anyway. There's still the person she's working for, but that was not the purpose behind this story. You know the funny thing is, I planned this out long before I watched an episode with River in it. (Wiki is my best friend) I finalized the plans after I watched Silence in the Library. My poor friends had to listen to my furious brainstorming for an hour. Anyway, I seriously hated River. However, after I watched season five, I kind of grew to like her. I still think this could realistically happen, and I definitely don't think she's his wife, but I don't hate her anymore. Thus, I softened this scene a bit from when I originally planned it out. Still...  
>Okay, so if you have any questions about why I think this should happen and how it all works out feel free to ask. Trust me, I think I've pretty well considered all the angles you could question.<br>I haven't had time to write this week, which is another reason (in addition to fanfic having problems) why I spaced my updates I bit. I have another chapter ready for Friday, but that's it. I will have time to write though, so I should probably get one up on Saturday as well.


	5. Chapter 5

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**The Tardis—The Morning After**

The Doctor woke to pain, not the sharp agonizing pain, but the heavy, muscles-too-tired to move sort of pain. He sat up, immediately regretting it. He groaned loudly and sunk back down into the pillows even as a gentle hand moved to push him back down.

"Relax, you're not even supposed to be awake yet," she chastised in a soothing voice.

His eyes flashed open at the sound of her voice, a voice he had never expected to hear again. Her face, positively glowing, looked down at him, her brow knit with worry, and her eyes a tender shade of brown with the tiniest splashes of gold. Residual energy from the time vortex.

"Rose," he whispered, half in shock, half in joy.

"Yeah," she said, smiling sweetly.

He felt his lips move into a goofy grin all on their own, as he reached up to touch her soft blond hair. His whole body ached with pain but he hadn't felt so good in what felt like eons.

"You haven't changed a bit," the Doctor said.

"Can't say the same about you," she replied.

He smiled wider and moved to touch his own hair. It was longer, practically billowing around his forehead, and about ten times thicker as well. It still maintained the downy feeling in which he took great pleasure. And that was just his hair, he could go on endlessly comparing his current physique to his old.

"How are you feeling," Rose asked, suddenly worried again.

There went his distraction. He grimaced as the feeling of pain magnified just by paying attention to it. "Like I was nearly assassinated."

"Right," she said, laughing.

The Doctor shut his eyes for half a second to focus on that glorious sound. He had missed that bright, most beautiful sound. Rose's laugh was unlike any other in the way it rang with sincerity and true enjoyment. It bubbled out from her very soul, brighting the entire world as it went.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

She smirked. "Well, someone had to save you."

He could have taken the bait and fought and teased, but pain echoed off of all his bones and his mind was fairly dead with fatigue. Instead, he smiled, but his mind flew elsewhere.

"Yeah, about that," he started, thoroughly confused, "How in the world _did_ you save me? I thought I was a goner."

"Well, to be honest, so did we," she admitted. "We got there soon after you passed out. Well, I got there soon after, John came right after I gave you the shots."

"John?" the Doctor asked.

"The meta-crisis Doctor. Anyway, John did something clever, and here you are."

"Something clever, eh?"

"I put your hearts in stasis," John's voice came from the doorway and the Doctor glanced up, noticing him for the first time. "It stopped the hearts from being destroyed while we brought you to the Tardis. Then we put you in the zero room, hoping you would be able to repair the damage yourself. You were pretty much drained of energy though, so it didn't exactly work. That's when Rose thought to feed some of the Tardis' energy into you. We put a few nanogenes in as well to help the procedure."

The Doctor's eyes widened. That was some serious measures they had taken to save him. First, they had crossed back into this universe and who knew how dangerous that had been. The serum for the stasis was difficult to find and even harder to make, and the timing would have had to been fairly precise. It sounded like they nearly got it in too late. And then the whole energy thing... that was probably the most iffy part of all. He glanced at Rose's eyes still with traces of the vortex from years ago, and shuddered to himself. That could have been disastrous.

"Where's River?" the Doctor asked.

"River took off just before I got to you,"Rose said, shrugging, "They haven't caught her yet."

"And they probably won't for a long while yet if my archives are correct," he replied. "She's still got at least two years before they put her in the Stormcage. What about Amy and Rory? They're safe, I hope?"

"They're perfectly fine," John said, and the Doctor was surprised at the level of compassion in his voice. Then again, technically speaking, they were kind of-sort of his companions. "They opted to stay in the village for a few days. I think... well, I think Amy wants to give us some space."

Rose snorted, "It's not as if there's a lack of space in here."

The Doctor watched her carefully. She didn't seem to have picked up on John's underlying tone. It was clear there were issues surrounding the three of them, issues not easily solved. He wondered if she was purposely ignoring them or if it hadn't occurred to her yet. Either way, he would need to talk with John before things got messy.

He moved to sit up again, but it wasn't any easier. He fell back, his face twisted in pain. Rose's hands fluttered uncertainly around him not quite sure what to do, but ultimately they settled on his chest, feeling the beat of his hearts. He was fairly sure they were pulsing at a safe rate if a bit weakly.

"You okay?" she asked, her voice flooded with concern.

He shifted uncomfortably. The more awake he got, the more pain he was in. He hadn't realized just how bad his almost death was until he was suffering the after effects in his body.

John narrowed his eyes, and the Doctor knew he was picking up just how much pain he was in. Their minds had been in the briefest of contact ever since the Doctor woke up. It wasn't as if they were consciously reading the other's mind, but their minds were so closely related it was difficult to keep them from reaching out. It was as if their subconscious automatically knew that the other mind was actually an extension of their own.

"You should have said something earlier," John murmured as he came closer.

"Well it's not as if I've been awake that long," the Doctor retorted, but inside he was agreeing. The pain really was quite debilitating.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, and she sounded rather annoyed that she was the only one out of the loop.

"He's in a lot of pain," John answered quickly, "his heart's probably haven't finished repairing themselves all the way. And the rest of his body is hurting from that, but also from giving so much energy to keep him alive."

Her eyes pained, she looked at the Doctor who nodded. There was no point telling her otherwise.

"What can I do?" Rose asked.

"Painkillers will work for now," John said. "Try the green bottle in the second drawer under the sixth cupboard in the med-bay. Those ought to work."

Rose nodded, casting one last look at the Doctor before she left the room. The Doctor watched her go, another weight settling on his chest. If he was sad to see her go for pills, how bad was it going to be when he had to give her up again? He knew he would have to; she and John were almost literally made for each, and they had had years of putting a life together. He couldn't take that from either of them, no matter what he personally wanted most.

He turned to tell John as much, surprised at the angry expression that greeted him.

"Don't even start," he said.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **Okay, yeah so I lied about posting yesterday, I really was ready, mostly, but I couldn't post until I had made a few decisions mostly regarding the pairing. It doesn't really change anything in this chapter or even in the next, though so I don't actually know why it made a difference. Anyway, it's mostly just a warning to you all. This chapter and the next (which I hope to have up later today) are your last chance to put in your input, about the pairing that is. I've mostly made my decision, but I would really like to hear all of your opinions before I make the final decision. I've had a few already tell me who they prefer, and I really appreciate their input. So let me know one way or the other. Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**The Tardis—The Pain of the Heart**

"Don't even start," John said. "You're about to tell me that as soon as you're well enough to be on your own, Rose will come home with me. And I'm telling you, it's not going to happen."

"Oh, and I suppose you've got a better solution?" The Doctor snapped.

"Yeah, actually. Rose stays with you." John could see pain flash in the Doctor's eyes as he pictured the life John was offering him. With just a few words, John had set off a series of time-lines in the Doctor's mind, and he hoped the shock of it would be enough to convince him.

"And who exactly is that going to help?" the Doctor asked. "Ultimately, one of us will end up alone, and it's better me than you."

"Why? Because I can't handle it? Because I'm human?" John asked, his voice almost a sneer.

"That's got nothing to do with it, and you know it,"he said. "This isn't about being capable or not, it's about what's best for all of us."

"No, Doctor," John said. "This is about what's best for Rose, and Rose needs you. Even a blind man can see how much she loves you."

Again, John watched as pain shot through the Doctor. It hurt him to think of the possibilities the life he thought he was losing, but John was determined that they would have that life. He wasn't going to let him throw away the most important person in his life, not again.

"Don't tell me that," the Doctor said, and John could tell he was cracking. He swallowed, his voice utterly soft, "She deserves to have a proper life, the sort of life she can have with you. We've been over this before, remember?"

"That was years ago," John said. He was about to continue when he heard footsteps padding down the hall. He and the Doctor both froze listening intently. Neither of them wanted to continue the conversation if she was near enough to hear. "This isn't finished, Doctor." He said before slipping out of the room.

* * *

><p>Rose settled on the bed, holding out two light purple pills. The Doctor eyed them suspiciously but he allowed her to drop them in his hands.<p>

"Will them make me sleep?" he asked hesitantly.

She shrugged."They would make humans sleep, but you can probably override that with some Time-Lord trick."

"I could, except I'm quite literally almost dead," the Doctor said wryly.

"Then, yes," Rose answered, "they will make you sleep."

The Doctor scowled at the pills, trying to decide whether it was really worth it or not. His head pounded, his chest ached, and his entire body was exhausted as if he had a run a good twenty marathons. Despite all that, he had absolutely no desire to sleep. In fact, he very much wanted to avoid sleep if at all possible. With sleep came dreams...

Rose gave him an appraising look. By the sympathetic expression on her face, he knew she had reached some conclusion about his silence.

I'm not going anywhere," Rose began in her soft, sweet voice. "I'll be right here when the nightmares come."

He blinked in surprise. In a matter of seconds, she had hit dead on the root of the problem. Then again, it had always been that way with them, almost from the very beginning.

"I'd forgotten how well you knew me, still do apparently," he murmured, surprised at how wistful he sounded.

Rose smiled. "I'm just good like that."

The Doctor's eyes locked on hers, noticing for the first time the heavy sadness that seemed to completely engulf her gaze. His hearts cried out, knowing it was he who caused such great sadness. How could he have been so stupid? He never should have left her. It had only caused tremendous pain for everyone.

"I'm so sorry,"he whispered. "i never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry for all the times I did, and for all the times I let you down."

"You gave me everything," Rose replied simply, as if that by itself would make everything all right.

The Doctor knew better than that. Everything was not all right, and it most likely never would be. She had John and he... he was all alone. He had missed his chance. The air around them grew heavy and he felt as if he were choking on all the unsaid words lingering between them. Rose could feel it too; he knew she could. He watched her hands messing with the seams on her jeans and twine around each other. He almost smiled at the familiarity of her movements. Oh, how he missed her.

"Are you going to take those pills now?"Rose asked in an attempt to send away the tension surrounding them.

The Doctor scowled again, but is hearts were at peace. A warm familiarity was beginning to settle in once more.

"Ugh, you're as bad as Tony," she said, laughing at his hurt expression. "Honestly, just take them already. You'll feel better."

The Doctor gave a loud hmph, but he swallowed the pills as directed. When they were safely down his throat, he turned a glare on Rose. She smiled like a little girl and patted the top of his head. He growled in return which only made her laugh. He stopped for a moment to revel yet again, in the sheer joy that her laugh brought.

"And good adventures lately?" Rose asked.

"A few," he said with a warm smile. "And you?"

The comfortable feeling left almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Rose's face seemed to drop and her hands resumed their nervous motions.

"Things are good," she said, though her voice was unsure.

"Are you happy?"the Doctor asked, half dreading her answer. What if she wasn't happy? And a small selfish piece of him whispered, what if she was happy?"

"As happy as I can be," Rose answered, shrugging slightly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She sighed, a soft and lonesome sound. "The first time it was easier. I knew there had to be a way back, and so I let myself hope. My days were devoted to finding you again and in that way, I was able to keep myself busy and distracted, if not happy. This time... I knew I was well and truly stuck there. You left by choice, told me goodbye; there was no going back. The there wast eh whole mess with John... One part of me loved him from the moment I met him because he was just another part of you, like leather and pinstripes. But then there was another part of me that didn't want to love him simply because I knew you were still out there somewhere. I was so lost and confused. I didn't know what to think or even what to feel. I had to get out, so I did. I traveled all over, only going home for a few days at a time. It was just about a year and a half before I was ready to come home. Even after that, things were still a little unsure. John came over for family dinners and things, and we worked on the same team at Torchwood. We did eventually start dating, but it wasn't long after that I started having dreams and Jon sensed you were in trouble. Our relationship was kind of put on hold sot hath we could work on the Tardis and try to find a way through the void. You know the rest."

The Doctor frowned,guilt filling him pup inside. He hadn't really even considered what it would have been like for them. Obviously, he knew it would be rocky in the beginning but he had never really thought about it. His thoughts normally jumped right to the happy little family and energetic kids he pictured them with. Suddenly, John's argument made much more sense. He couldn't help but sigh sadly. Rose was always putting her life on hold for him.

"And now back to you," Rose said with forced cheerfulness. "What have you been up to?"

The Doctor launched into a long detailed narrative of his latest adventures. He filled her in on all things River and told her about Amy and Rory. She laughed and teased him just as she used to. If he shut his eyes, he could almost imagine they had never been apart. As time went on, his eyelids grew heavier and it was becoming exceptionally difficult to keep his eyes open at all. A yawn broke through his story story telling and that was when he realized he was losing control over his systems. He stopped mid sentence to gaze fearfully at Rose.

"Rose, I'm falling asleep," he said, trying not to let the panicky feeling grappling at his insides show through.

Rose laughed but it was gently. "Good," she answered. "That means the drugs are working."

The Doctor almost whimpered, but he knew Rose would never let him live it down if he did. Instead he settled on a grumbly moan.

"You big baby," Rose teased warmly. "Close your eyes."

The Doctor complied, though not entirely willingly. By that point, he couldn't even keep them open for more than a few seconds at a time. He nearly purred with pleasure as Rose began running a hand through his floppy hair. Her fingers tangled in the soft brown locks, and her other hand twined around his. Funny, her hand was till made to fit his. Or perhaps it was the other way around, he thought with a smile. After all, he was the one that made a point of changing his physiology on a regular basis.

Soon, Rose began humming which then turned to singing. The tune was haunting, but soothing as well, lulling him into a sense of security. Something about her song was so familiar, as if he had heard it before. Just as he was about to lose himself to sleep, he realized where he knew the song. Somewhere in his deepest memories he could just remember his mother, singing him to sleep as a tiny child with the very same song that Rose was now singing.

"Where did you learn that song?" the Doctor asked, his voice betraying his hazy state.

"I've always known it," she answered and her hand stilled as she stopped to think. "I suppose my mum must have sang it to me when I was little."

The Doctor highly doubted Jackie Tyler knew a Gallifreyean lullaby, but he didn't have the energy to argue. Not to mention he didn't have an alternative solution. He merely hmmmed at her and shifted closer.

"Go to sleep," Rose murmured and he was more than happy to obey.

The Doctor slid further and further into the realm of sleep, the beginnings of dreams starting to filter in. But somewhere in his unconscious mind, he could feel as Rose lay down beside him to join him in sleep, and he was happy.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **Sorry I didn't have this up sooner, you do _not_ want to know everything that has been going on lately. One good thing is that my brother just got home from Hungary! Anyway, today's chapter is probably one of my favorites, well and the one where River shoots him. So obviously I didn't finish before the sixth season (which I haven't watched yet, so no spoilers please) however, I got the important part over with. Now, it's just lesser important stuff, well mostly. I must warn you though, updates will be noticeably less often I think, especially as I'll start writing on 100 songs again. Reviews tend to speed things up though, so if we get the same amount of response as we did last chapter, things will likely go faster. Speaking of which, thanks to all of you who weighed in a the pairing problem. I'm still deliberating a bit, so feel free to drop in those of you haven't yet. The final decision should be made probably in the next two chapters. Oh and I won't be answering reviews tonight. I think I'll wait on them until I decide for sure what pairing to do.  
>Thanks!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**The Tardis— Fear  
><strong>

Rose opened her eyes slowly, reluctant to leave comfort of sleep. For half a second, she was disoriented by the arms draped around her and the heady scent in the air. The soft slow drone of a double heart beat reminded her precisely where she was. Unbidden, memories from a life time ago came to her. Long nights full of longing for a family far away, the comfort of his arms solid around her, and then inversely, the times when nightmares and memories caught up with him and he found solace in _her_ embrace. It was funny the way just the presence of the other could keep the worst away, or at least make it bearable. This night had been no different.

Rose slipped out from his arm and off the bed, pausing to look back at the Doctor's still face. He was so different now, but she had never felt so at home. She brushed out of the room before she could linger on the thought.

The Tardis was nearly silent, all but for the familiar hum in the background. Rose slipped into the bathroom, still the same flawless porcelain from before. Her things weren't scattered across the counter as they used to be, but she found them all stashed neatly behind the mirror. She nearly cried at the sentimental placement of all her things in their proper place. Her mind flew to the her old bedroom, wondering if it was in a similar state.

"Rose?" John's voice called softly as he tapped on the door. "You in there?"

"Yep," she answered. With one hand she pushed the door open, and the other she kept clamped around her ponytail.

John entered silently, leaning casually against the counter. She twisted an elastic through her hair, her eyes never leaving his as she analyzed his mood. His expression was thoughtful, his eyes somber, but his hands were clenched with worry. She had a feeling things were about to take a turn for the worse.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked.

He shook his head. "Rose... this—this is only the beginning."

"What do you mean?" she asked, fear beginning it's gradually course through her blood, chilling her to her toes.

"Someone was behind the attack, someone very powerful, and someone with a terrible vendetta against the Doctor," he explained.

"But who..." she trailed off, searching his face worriedly. "You think they'll try again?"

"I think they've been trying for a very long time," John said. "I've been through the archives... it doesn't look good."

"What can we do?" Rose whispered, sinking against the wall. "They almost succeeded this time. What's to stop them next time?"

"Same thing that stopped them this time," he replied staunchly. "But we've got to work as quickly as we can. Whoever is behind this has been waiting a great deal of time, but he's getting anxious, moving quicker lately. If we don't act soon, the next plan may already have been set into motion."

"What about the Doctor? There's no way he can go traipsing across the universe to hunt down the killer."

"That's why we're not telling him," John said. "We've got our own Tardis. We take off before he wakes up, and he's got no choice but to stay behind."

Rose shifter her gaze nervously. She didn't like this. It was all too... too contorted. She couldn't leave the Doctor, not when he needed her to care for him. But she couldn't just sit back and wait for another attack.

"We can't just leave him on his own," She argued, her throat tight. "He needs us."

"Amy and Rory can-"

"John," she cut in. "We can't"

John sighed in frustration, throwing up his hands. "What am I supposed to do, Rose? You think I don't care? Do you think for one moment, I want to leave him anymore than you do?"

"I never said that," Rose said, gritting her teeth. "I'm just saying we ought to come up with a different alternative."

"What are you proposing?" he asked sharply. "Because I would love to hear if you have another solution."

"Stop being snappy," she said, her voice tired. "I haven't done anything wrong."

John's face dropped and he stepped back a little, running a hand through his hand. Rose reached out, catching his hand in hers. She smoothed away furrow of his brow with her other hand, meeting his brown eyes steadily.

"We're going to get through this," she stated. "We need the Doctor though. It's his life after. Do you believe me?"

He nodded slowly, letting his hand drop from hers. Rose watched him for a moment, the pain and sadness he was fighting, and her heart ached to see it. She pulled him into a hug, clutching him tightly. He was sacred, and she was doubly scared. She wasn't sure if they really _could_ get through this one, but she was determined to fight to the death if necessary. And because she knew John and the Doctor would fight with her every step of the way, things didn't look quite so hopeless.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **Sorry this is so short. I just need to kind of set things up for the next chapter which will be a little more action oriented. I hope I'll have it up a little sooner as well. Anyway, pairing polls are still open if anyone wants to be heard... Thanks for your reviews, guys. You're great! Oh and I apologize for the typos in the last chapter and any in previous chapters or the current one. I don't have a whole lot of time to look over them.


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: i DON'T OWN DOCTOR WHO, SADLY ENOUGH.

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**The Stormcage and the Tardis- Memories**

Amy rested her back against a silver tree, pulling her coat tight against her. For once, the pounding rain had stopped, but the chilly air and whistling breeze continued. She idly spun her wedding ring around her finger, wondering if the Doctor was doing any better. Last time she stopped in, he was fast asleep, still too weak to do anything else.

Rose stepped out of the Tardis then, and Amy waved a hand in greeting. Rose smiled softly in return, but there was pain in her eyes. As she came closer, Amy could see the tears streaks, thin and shining in the soft sunlight.

"You okay?" Amy asked. Though they barely knew each other, Amy felt very close to Rose already. It was terrible to see her hurt.

Rose shrugged. "Ask me in an hour."

Amy offered a sympathetic smile, though she doubted it helped anything. There was so much going on that she didn't know about, that she couldn't make better. She only hoped that things would seem better with a friend to talk to.

"Is it the Doctor?" Amy asked hesitantly.

"No... well not really," she answered. "He seems to be feeling better, anyway."

"At least that's something to be happy about."

Rose managed a smile at that, nodding. "Yes. It really is."

"But..." Amy was pushing a little more than she probably should, but her curiosity was dying to know what was going on between the two Doctors and Rose. How did a mess such as theirs ever come about in the first place?

"But, someone is still trying to kill the Doctor," Rose said, and Amy was slightly disappointed. She was getting answers, but not the one she wanted most. "I don't know if we can keep him safe."

Amy reached out to hug Rose, praying things could work out. She started out worrying about Rose's relationship but now she found she had to worry for the Doctor's safety as well. What a day.

The Doctor woke up, feeling very stiff, but most of the pain seemed to have dissipated overnight. Or had it been overnight? He couldn't really remember when he had fell asleep, or how long he slept. He tried to tune into his inner time sense, huffing irritably when it wouldn't work. Apparently, that was another side affect of being shot.

Ruffling his hair, the Doctor swung his legs off the bed, pleased when they held his weight without trouble. There was no clock in his room, but the bedroom next door was sure to have one. He slipped in quietly, sighing half in relief and half in disappointment when he saw that it was empty. He wasn't sure if Rose would have returned to her old room, but for now it appeared she hadn't. He crossed the room, breathing in the sweet scent that still lingered. The alarm clock read 6 o'clock in the morning. Good. He _had _slept through the night. He felt slightly smug that he had maintained an accurate sense of time despite the incident.

The Doctor was just turning to leave, when John stepped in. They looked across the way at each other, eyes slightly narrowed. The Doctor felt John's mind tickling at his, and he had to shake his head to clear it from the sudden flash of memories foremost in John's mind. There was a pink and purple smudged Rose, a paintbrush clutched tightly in her hand as she splattered the walls and him as well. She was curled in the bed, sick as can be, but beautiful still. In front of the mirror, she twirled in a floor length river of satin majesty, smiling when he stopped to stare. The last thing the Doctor glimpsed before he forced out the images, was an impromptu kiss given in tenderness, received in complete trust and shared in the sweetest way possible.

"Sorry," John said as the Doctor stumbled back. "I didn't mean to do that."

"No... it's all right," he whispered, thrown into cold shock from the memories. "I forget sometimes how much..."

"How much you love her?" John asked, to which the Doctor frowned.

"Please don't start that again," the Doctor said wearily. "I can't think of that right now."

"You can't put it off forever," he prompted. "I'm going to see what I can find about Father Stone. Rose is outside with Amy if you need anything."

"Thank you," the Doctor said, nodding his head. "I'll go through the archives while I'm stuck in here."

John laughed as he walked out of the room. "Knowing you, I doubt you'll be stuck for long."

Rose creaked the Tardis doors open, grinning widely to see the Doctor at the console. His back was to her, offering the perfect opportunity to observe him in his natural habitat. She looked him up and down, barely able to hold in a laugh. Really those suspenders... and though she not see it, the bow-tie... oh, he was something else.

"Do you have a particular reason for staring at me?" the Doctor asked, flipping around.

Rose smiled as she shook her head. "No reason."

"Hmm," he said, quirking an eyebrow. He didn't have it down to an art as John did, but it was still amusing as ever.

"I take it you're feeling better?" she asked, climbing the stairs.

"Yes," he said with a smile. "Thank you."

Rose shuffled her foot nervously, but her gaze was steady on him. "I didn't do much."

"You saved my life, and stayed with me through the night," the Doctor pointed out.

"Only because you wouldn't let me go," she teased.

"Ha," he scoffed, "You wouldn't have left even if I pushed you off the bed."

"You wouldn't have pushed me off the bed, not even if I slapped you," she countered.

"Oh I don't know," the Doctor said, rubbing his cheek. "A Tyler slap is pretty hard to handle."

Her tongue poking out, she smiled foolishly. She had forgotten how much fun he could be, how easy the back and forth came and... how easy it was to fall for him. She caught herself then, too scared to let her thoughts roam. She didn't expect _anything_ from him and of course there was John...

"How is dear old Mum these days?" the Doctor asked as he settled into the chair.

Rose watched him carefully in an attempt to monitor his health, but he seemed to be sitting simply for comfort and conversation.

"She's doing well," Rose said warmly. "Tony is the loveliest little boy in the world. He keeps both Mum and Dad happy if busy."

"Good," he said with a sharp nod. "Happy and busy is always the way to go."

Rose gave him a soft searching look. She had a feeling his life was less happy and more busy a great deal more than he let on. Poor, poor Doctor.

"What are you doing up and about, anyway?" she asked while sliding in next to him.

"River wasn't working on her own, of course," the Doctor said and Rose almost rolled her eyes. He and John were _just_ alike.

"And you're looking into it, so we can strike at the root of the problem," she finished, smirking. "Really, a girl might feel stupid when she's surrounding by genius timelords all the time."

"Well I _am_ a genius..."

He really should have seen the slap coming, Rose thought. He stared at her in shock, touching his cheek numbly. It was more the surprise than anything else as Rose had been specially careful to be soft.

"Ouch," the Doctor said indignantly. "I so didn't deserve that."

"Right," she said. "You never deserve anything of the sort."

He glared at her, but Rose just smiled sweetly. Popping out of her seat, she placed a kiss on his stung cheek, before skipping down the hall. She could feel his eyes on her though as she left, and she wondered what he was thinking. She couldn't keep herself from whipping her head back around to catch his eyes. They watched her with sweet tenderness, and the deep wistfulness stole a breath from her.

"I'm going to make something to eat," she explained before turning quickly back around.

Rose slumped against the kitchen door, holding her hands to her flaming cheeks. That was unusual. Blushing didn't come easily to her, not anymore anyways. When her phone rang, she was relieved to see it was John calling. If anyone could distract her from the unexpected, wild flight of her stomach, he could.

**A/N **Eh, this one isn't my favorite, but it's okay. Sorry this is quite late. If you very, very lucky you might get another one today. I wouldn't count on it though. Anyway, I've watched a few of the 6th season episodes, and read the wiki guides for the others. They're pretty good, although I would suggest never reading episode overviews, because they're terribly confusing. I read the whole 5th season months before I watched it. My head was all tied up in knots until I actually watched them. So much easier to understand when you see it! Anyway, is it just me or is Steven Moffet generally more plot driven throughout the whole season than RTD was? I also think the individual stories are more complex than before. Do you guys see that as well, or am I totally off my rocker?


	9. Chapter 9

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**The Tardis- Revelations**

River stared in shock at the two Tardises sitting side by side. She'd never seen anything like it. Two Tardises. How was that even possible? She hesitated as she stepped towards the left one which was just slightly darker. The left was definitely the Tardis she was familiar with. But then what was the other one, and which one would have the Doctor? Or would he be there at all? Maybe she was wrong, maybe he really had died. To her relief, the left one opened before she took another step, and the Doctor stepped out.

"Doctor!" she cried, throwing herself into his arms.

He stumbled, leaning back against the Tardis for support. She knew then just how weak he really was.

"You're alive," she gasped, a smile spreading quickly. "I thought... I thought for sure you wouldn't make it."

"No thanks to you," the Doctor replied, but his smile eased the guilt she felt.

"I'm so sorry. I never should have... I was so young," she said.

"It's okay, River," he said sincerely. "I forgive you."

"But I might not," John said as he too exited the Tardis, Rose right behind him.

"Sorry, have we met?" River asked.

"We will. I'm the Doctor."

"Call him John,"the Other Doctor said with a grin.

River's eyes widened and she looked him up and down. His hair was a perfectly ordered mess, his eyes brown and powerful, but something was off, not quite right. And the girl... her eyes shifted to Rose and she couldn't stop a flame of jealousy. This could only be one girl. The Doctor's name was rarely said in legend without mention of the beautiful blond girl who was rumored to be nearly as powerful as he.

"You must be Rose Tyler," River said, extending a hand in greeting. "River Song."

"Yes," Rose said. "The Doctor's told me about you."

"And history speaks for itself about you," River said. "I've been looking for proof that you weren't just a legend."

"I guess you have it now," Rose replied.

"But that's not why you're here," John said, eying her suspiciously. "What do you want?"

"I want to help," she answered.

"You just tried to kill him," Rose retorted.

River narrowed her eyes, fighting her anger. She would not let this girl get the best of her. Absolutely not.

"That was many years ago for me,"River answered calmly, serenely. "I learned my lesson."

"I think we'll be the judge of that," John said.

River felt distinctly uncomfortable under his steady gaze. He took no pains to hide his distrust anymore than Rose and it threw her off guard. Though he wasn't strictly 'the Doctor' as far as she could tell, it was still painful to feel his hostility. Even her Doctor was clearly out of sorts. She didn't like it one bit.

"Come on in," the Doctor said, pushing open the door.

River expected him to follow right after her when she walked in. Instead, he waited until the other two were filing in and his hand guided Rose's back when she stepped in. She looked back at him smiling warmly, and River's anger flared. This girl was supposed to be of the past, just another companion lost along the way... wasn't she? For the first time, River began to doubt her own security. Apparently the stories featuring Rose as the Doctor's true love weren't as far out as she previously thought.

The console room was drastically different than the last time she had visited. Well, the overall scheme was the same crazed theme, but the main platform was extended farther out to include a carpeted study of sorts on the left side. The desk to which John immediately went was an absolute mess. Papers were scattered around and a set of matching blue books, some old and tattered and some new, were spread out across the desk. He picked up a book so new it practically gleamed, flipping to a specific page which he silently showed to the Doctor. The Doctor nodded thoughtfully.

Meanwhile, Rose settled into the love seat, her feet resting lightly on the other cushion. She watched the two Doctors intently, amused but completely lost just the same. She only spared River a glance when she spoke.

"This is new," River commented, still standing a fair distance away from the new addition.

"It's for our research," the Doctor said enthusiastically, bounding to her side, blue book in hand. "See, these are the Tardis archives in hard form."

Now that was intriguing. The archives had _everything_. But that still didn't explain the room inside a room.

"But why in here, Doctor?" She quirked her eyebrow, feeling a tad like a nanny dealing with a child whose toys were spread all over the house. "Why not in the actual study or the library?"

He shrugged, grinning... at Rose oddly enough. "Partly for convenience sake, as this is the central room where everyone can meet up and work together. And partly because Rose didn't believe me when I said it was possible. It really isn't terribly difficult. The worst part was getting the Tardis to cooperate."

"I see," River said. "I don't suppose you've found anything useful?"

"Well, that depends," he said. "I've managed to finally piece together most of your life with a few exceptions."

"Oh how nice." She said rolling her eyes. "That's hardly useful."

"As you were his almost murderer it actually was quite necessary," John said from his place at the desk. "And you're also the only connection we've got to Father Stone at the moment."

"It was Father Stone behind it all, wasn't it?" Rose piped up, just to make sure.

River shot her glance that might possibly have been constituted as less than friendly. But really, was the girl a complete idiot? Of course Father Stone was behind it.

"You won't find him," River said. "Not if he doesn't want you to."

"Oh, well I suppose we'll just sit back and let him kill the Doctor then," Rose retorted.

The Doctor and John both looked at her sharply which pleased River enormously. Though she couldn't help but notice they were both holding back smiles.

"We don't need to find him just yet anyway," John said before River could respond. "We just need to know who he is."

"He's not your real father, is he?" The Doctor asked.

River shook her head. "I was brought into his care when I was three. I was always told my parents were dead."

"Given what we know of his character now," the Doctor started, "That may or may not be true." "I've looked into it before; there's not much to be found."

"We'll look into that later, for now let's focus on Father Stone," John said. "What can you tell us about him?"

"Not much," she said with a shrug. "Well, not much that will help anyway. You all ready know he has terrible grudge against the Doctor. He's the smartest man I've ever known."

"Including me?" the Doctor asked indignantly.

She smiled. "Including you."

"Sweet Rassilon," the Doctors whispered in tandem. Rose's eyebrows were a mile high.

"Driving the Tardis, Time Lord Biology... he taught you all that?" John asked thoughtfully when River didn't offer up anymore information.

"Of course... didn't you know, he's a Time Lord too?"

"What?" The single word from three different voices rang eerily in the Tardis, the shock snowballing with each silent echo.

"That's impossible," John said when the silence grew louder than an avalanche.

"Well, strictly speaking it is _possible_," The Doctor replied.

"I guess the Master did come back that once." John sighed. "It wouldn't surprise me if he managed to come back again."

The Doctor coughed, suddenly very fidgety. John looked at him expectantly, though a little shocked. They all knew there was a a confession waiting there underneath the Doctor's innocent look.

"He might have made an appearance a while ago," he admitted after a moment.

"He came back?" John asked.

"Well I didn't just regenerate for the fun of it did I."

John groaned. He sank down next to Rose, pushing her feet to the floor. Rolling his eyes, he said, "Really? You lost another one to him?"

The Doctor sniffed. "Better than the Daleks again."

"Technically it was Rose," John pointed out. Rose was quick to swing her feet back up kicking him in the process. Even River had to smile at that one.

"Fine, then it was Wilf's fault I regenerated." Before John could protest, the Doctor quickly amended his statement. "In all reality, I suppose it was Rassilon's fault."

John choked on air, his eyes wide as he regarded the Doctor. Beside him, Rose kept switching her gaze from on Doctor to the other, clearly as confused as River felt.

"Oh, I forget you weren't there for all of that," the Doctor said slowly.

"Perhaps you should enlighten me," John replied, standing back up.

"This might hurt."

A mighty crack split the air as the Doctor slammed his head against John's out of nowhere. River winced, touching a hand to her head in memory of the only time the Doctor had shared thoughts with her. There had to be better way, she thought. One just slightly less painful.

"Are you mad?" John cried, when he pulled away. "What was that?"

"Telepathy," the Doctor answered.

"It doesn't require hitting people! I can do better than that and I'm half human."

"It's a perfectly good form of telepathy," the Doctor insisted.

"Maybe if you want a concussion," John said.

"Let's move on, shall we?" River said. "It won't matter what kind of telepathy you use if you're dead."

"She has a point," John said. "Before your memories, I would have bet my money on Father Stone being the Master. As it is... I have no clue."

"That's so helpful, John," the Doctor griped. "I have no clue either."

"That's because you're not looking," Rose said, half smiling. "You could just look at River's memories of Father Stone. Problem solved."

"Not necessarily," the Doctor said hesitantly. "It's a dangerous place in River's head. If either of us glimpse the wrong memories by accident the entire time and space continuum could shatter. No. It would fracture. Slight difference, but where River is concerned even a fracture could be disastrous."

"Not if I look," John said. "It won't matter what I see and I only have one memory worth protecting. Not to mention my style tends to be more precise, easier to control what passes between us."

"Fine." The Doctor was anything but happy to relent to John. He went to John's previous seat beside Rose who patted his arm while trying not to laugh. River nearly smacked them.

"Ready?" John asked as he stepped towards her.

"No head-butting?" River asked.

"No head-butting."

"I'm ready then."

The light touch of his fingertips on River's temples startled her. They were firm but terribly gentle against her skin. She let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding just as his mind made contact with hers. His presence was cool and flowing, skimming lightly through the lakes and trees of her mind.

Taking a deep breathe, she delved into his mind. She was working under very limited time as he knew exactly what he was looking for, and she... she was just searching for something, anything to answer the questions that always plagued her. His mind was designed like the Tardis with glowing corridors winding forever in the depths. She started down the hallways glancing at the labeled doors. She still didn't know quite what she wanted most to know, but she would decide when she found it. The one labeled Rose in Gallifreyan caught her eye. Curiosity burned in her chest and she tried the knob. Locked. She wasn't surprised.

In her own mind, John was still searching. Chronologically ordered on purpose it might take him awhile to get to the last memory of Father Stone. But when he felt her trying the door, he started, pulling almost entirely from her mind.

_Cut it out. _His voice was impatient but it was terribly soft, hardly loud enough to hear. She wondered if that was the human side of him interfering. Human... she still didn't understand that. Yet another mystery of the Doctor's life. _Just show me the memory I need._

_Don't know how_, she lied, turning back to the door before her. Father Stone had taught her essentially everything she needed in life, including how to break into the Doctor's memories. Picking the lock wasn't easy, but it was possible. With a triumphant smile, the door swung open before her.

River stood her ground as a torrent of memories crashed before her. Each were only a second long, staying only long enough for her to blink.

Rose trapped in a basement fearful and scared. Beautiful and free as she twirled her sun dress in a meadow of wildflowers. Crying and screaming as she felt into a brilliant white light. Unafraid and sweet beyond measure as she kissed him in the dull light of the console room. And the last memory of all was hard to make out in the flash that she saw it. Light. Blinding golden light. And Rose, but different. Almost Godlike. She clung to the memory begging to see more, unfortunately that was the moment John realized she had broken in. A roar so furious and strong flung her from the room and into a new area of unending heat and sand. Without a doubt, his human limitations were not present now.

_I doubt you have training for this setting. _

He was right. River now found herself in a scorching desert seeming to go on forever. Oasis's dotted the horizon though and she headed towards them, figuring they held the memories. Each time she neared one it disappeared into the sand, merely a mirage. Sighing in frustration, she sat down in the sand, angry for being tricked. She had training in many mind styles but never had she heard of a mind set up like a desert. This was impossible.

She turned her attention back to John who was now laughing at her. He carefully sorted through the file folders in her mind, pausing now and again to peek. When nothing proved helpful, he continued to flip through them.

_What year, River?_

Still mad at him, she ignored him.

_ You promised to help. What year?_

_ What happened to Rose? Why was she... glowing?_

He growled, clearly not happy with her.

_Answer me please, _ she said.

_Not until you tell me the year, _came the reply.

That wasn't such a hard deal. She told him the year easily, she was planning to all along, but now she got something along with it.

His fingers flipped faster through the files, not that he didn't need to pause anymore. He spoke slowly, hesitantly.

_We were in trouble. As in inevitable death kind of trouble. I tricked her into going home to save her life. But she was determined to save my life no matter what._

He reached the correct file then, but River reached out, stopping him from opening it. _Finish please. You'll forget once you open it._

He nodded, pulling his hand away. _ She forced open the Tardis and took the time vortex into herself. Using that power she came back to me and saved my life. She was... she was brilliant, but the power was killing her. I absorbed the energy and took away her memory. To this day, she doesn't realize to what lengths she went to save me. _

River watched him, finally understanding the powerful connection between the Doctor and Rose. Even in the quick simplified version of the events, she could see how each decision was driven by love for one another. They were two completely different people, different species even, but they would give everything and had given everything for the other.

_That's why it's locked away. To protect her._

John shrugged. _That's part of it I suppose. Mostly it's just that my memories of her are too dear. I don't share them with just anyone. I imagine the Doctor is the same way._

_ He still loves her then? _Strangely, River was less saddened by that than before. If she couldn't have that deepness of love with him that Rose seemed to have, it wasn't worth it after all.

_You can be sure of it. _He smiled gently at her. _You'll love someone like that someday. Then you'll understand._

_ Thank you, John. For letting me in._

_ And thank you. You've kept him safe more than you yet realize._

The moment of shared understanding ended as John turned back to the task at hand. He took a deep steadying breath and allowed the memory to soak over him. River watched as John's eyes widened and his breath turned ragged. Abruptly he tore free of the connection, throwing them both back into real life.

River shook her head to clear it, glancing quickly at her watch to see only a matter of seconds had passed in real world time. Next her eyes flew to John, still locked in complete shock.

"Who is it?" the Doctor asked, sliding forward on the couch. "Do you know him."

John turned to him, his face a perfect picture of horror. "It's Rassilon."

**A/N **How's that for an ending? Just curious... did anyone see that coming? I didn't really foreshadow for it, so you might not have. Back in the early days of brainstorming he wasn't actually going to be in the story. It was going to be the master. But then I kind of fell in love with the Master so that plan went kaput. Anyway, this chapter was hard to write hence the reason it took so long. I figured out I really don't like writing from River's view. It got better as I went along I thought. Still... it will likely never be in her view again if I can avoid it. Sorry to my 100 songs people. I've got one in the works. Hopefully, I can get it up tomorrow.


	10. Chapter 10

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**The Tardis- Bittersweet**

_ "__Time__-__lock rejected the Master..."_

Rose closed her eyes, resting her head back against the Tardis wall. Her head was still spinning from the revelations River brought.

_"Rassilon used the last of the link..."_

Phrases that didn't make sense to her, disjointed and unfamiliar, were all they had to go on.

_"Must have escaped with the Master..."_

Rose thought of the Doctor's face when John had said it for the first time. _Rassilon_. What once had never been more than the Doctor's favorite swear word was now the one thing threatening those she loved.

From her place in the hallway, she could hear the voices of the Doctor and John floating down from the main console. The clang of metal reminded her of the workshop they had set up in place of the study. Now any books they needed could be fetched by one of the companions. A creak of the door announced Rory's return. He reported on Amy and River's search for supplies both in the other Tardis and the nearby stores. Prompted by his general good spirit, Rose forced herself back into the console room. Perhaps his cheery mood would be enough to take her mind off the constant worries.

"Ah, there's Rose," John said brightly when she entered. It was the happiest he had sounded since the disastrous news of Rassilon's involvement.

The Doctor's mood, however, seemed only to have deteriorated since then. He worked ceaselessly at his contraption without even looking up at her. His face was haggard, revealing the deep worry they all felt pressing against them.

"Rory, was just updating us on the others," John continued. "With all this help, we'll be ready to go sooner than we first expected."

"That's good," Rose replied. "How's the timey-wimey device coming?"

"It's not so much timey-wimey as it is... findy-windy." He grinned and she returned it weakly.

"And what exactly are we going to do when we find him...Doctor?"

For the first time, the Doctor looked up and immediately Rose knew he wasn't well. He tried to avoid her gaze, but he couldn't hide the general look of pain haunting his eyes. She stepped towards him, concern building.

"Doctor?"

"I'm fine, Rose," he said, but his voice was hoarse. "Don't worry about it."

"What were you thinking?" she asked as her hand found his arm. "Did you plan to finish the job and work yourself to death?"

"I'm perfectly all right, I—" a small groan escaped him as he bent in pain.

John reached out to take his arm, slinging it over his shoulder, while throwing Rose an apologetic look.

"I should have been watching him; I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Rose said, waving away any further apologies. "Rory can you help?"

Surprised, but willing, Rory hurried to the Doctor's other side and together, they helped him down the hall.

Trusting them to get him back all right, Rose went to the med bay to fetch the painkillers again. As she fumbled through the bottles for the right one, tears obscured her vision. The image of the clearing came unbidden to her mind, bloody and horrifying as she found his body, crumpled and still, his pulse as faint as a forgotten memory. She remembered it all with unwanted clarity and couldn't help connecting the image to the ghostly vision of the Doctor being carried away by John and Rory.

A familiar pair of converse came into view followed by John's worried face as he crouched beside her. Somewhere between here and there she had fallen to her knees, clutching the pill bottle with unnecessary force. His hand covered hers, easing her fingers from their deathly grip. Sobbing, she leaned into him, welcoming the warmth of his arms as they wrapped around her trembling body.

As her tears began to quiet, he began to speak softly.

"You really do love him, don't you?"

"You know, Mickey asked me that same question once. When you had regeneration sickness," she said through quiet sniffles.

"Never thought, I'd find myself in the same position as he. But I suppose someone has to be the tin dog."

She pulled back far enough to meet his gaze, shot through with loneliness and longing. Her dear, sweet Doctor.

"You're not a tin dog."

"Rose, it's _okay_. No one blames you for that."

They fell into silence, disturbed intermittently by Rose's sniffles. He still held her close and she felt so protected, so far away from Rassilon and the impeding doom associated with him. Still, she couldn't hide from her own confusion, from the powerful feelings of love and guilt that fought a constant battle inside her.

"It's so unfair," she finally whispered. "Why did all of this have to happen just when I was starting to work things out back home, when I was just getting settled?"

"_Settling_ for me, you mean."

"No!" she said earnestly, reaching a hand to touch his cheek, rough with stubble. "I wasn't settling."

"I've always known I wasn't your first choice. I understand."

"No, you don't understand at all," suddenly restless, Rose pushed away, getting to her feet. "John, you were never just a consolation prize... not to me." She paused, her throat tightening as more tears threatened. "I love you," she whispered.

The words lingered in the air, shattering the silence long after she had said it. It was the first time she had said it out loud, the first time she directed at Doctor John Smith. Rose watched him carefully, waiting for him to reach for her, or for his face to lighten with pleasure. Instead, when he stood to his feet, he turned to face away from her, one hand gripping the counter, the other teasing his hair in agitation.

"Of all the times you have to say it," he growled and Rose took a small step backwards. Of all the things she expected, this was not one of them. He flipped abruptly around, his eyes scrutinizing her, leaving her vulnerable and afraid. He was her rock, her foundation, and now she found it falling apart in the earthquake of human emotions.

"John..."

"Rose, I can't stay. You have to know that."

Another step backwards as confusion filled her. "Why?"

"You belong here... with him."

Silence fell again, leaving inner turmoil fighting to be vocalized, but not knowing how. Chest heaving with the pain of a breaking heart, Rose realized she was in very real of danger of losing not one, but two of the people she loved. Wherever she turned, it felt as if she couldn't win. But she had already lost the Doctor once. John had been steady, unmoving as he patiently waited for her to figure life out.

"He left me," she finally said. "He left me behind once; he can do it again."

"He won't," John said confidently. "He loves you too much. He's not strong enough to lose you again."

"What if I'm not strong enough to lose you?"

"You made your choice a long time ago, remember? And you chose him. You love him."

"Yes, I do. You know I do, but I love you too. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

John turned away from her again, and she thought he was hiding the emotions that were always so close to the surface in this body.

"It means everything to me."

"Then don't fight me," she whispered, taking his hand. "Give me this time, give _us _this time... and, if, when all is said and done, you still want to go. I won't stop you."

"I'll break you heart," he murmured, but his hand tightened round hers.

"He'll break it too."

He turned his head, leaning down until their lips just barely brushed.

"Thank you, Rose."

Rose closed her eyes, feeling peaceful at last.

* * *

><p>The Doctor eyes were closed in an attempt to block out the pain, but when the door opened, bringing in Rose's scent his eyes flew open. She held out the bottle of pills to him, nodding a quiet thanks to Rory. Obediently he downed the pills, catching Rose's hand when she turned to leave. Ignoring Rory's curious gaze, he met her eyes evenly, surprised at the subtle change in them. A new sadness was there, but a new determination as well. He could guess what had happened, though it hurt him to even consider the possibility.<p>

"Will you stay tonight?"

Rose looked down to hide the reflection of tears in her eyes. She shook her head sadly.

"Not tonight, Doctor. I'm sorry."

She bent to kiss him softly, sweetly. He had missed her kiss in the years that had passed, longed for her touch, but now that he had it, it could only be described as bittersweet. Because when she kissed him, goodnight, she really was kissing him goodbye.

* * *

><p><strong>AN** Well, this isn't quite what I had in mind... like at all. However, I'm geuninely pleased with the result, despite the swinging pendulum of pairing. :-) I know it's not too intense right now, as far as action goes, but I just keep putting it off, dealing with little housekeeping details before we get to the confrontation. Soon, I promise. Maybe next chapter, maybe the one after that. I hope the explanation with the Master and Rassilon made sense even though it was just little pieces. I didn't want to information dump you, but if you have questions, please ask. Thank you for being patient with me! I promise I'll finish this as soon as I can.


	11. Chapter 11

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**The Tardis- Time to Go**

John was putting the finishing touches on the findy-windy device, when the Doctor joined him, tired, but looking much better for the hours of sleep. Together, they worked soundlessly, anticipating the other's movements and synchronizing their work. Despite their harmonious working, an air of discord hung between them. Unsettled feelings and jealousy filtered in John's peripheral thinking as he caught wind of the Doctor's thoughts. To add fuel to the fire, John knew his own thoughts to be sending mixed messages of happiness and guilt.

"I take it, you're going back on the original plan," the Doctor said, when the tumultuous emotions reached a deafening peak.

"_She_ went back on the plan. I thought this is what you wanted?"

"It is."

"Then why are you angry?"

"Because you can't just plan to abandon her one moment, and then change your mind the next."

"You were starting to hope," John said evenly, noting the way the Doctor wouldn't meet his eyes. "You fought against it, but secretly you hoped she would stay."

"And you wanted to leave her, but the minute she shows her affections, you can't let her go," the Doctor snapped. "It's the same thing."

"Is it? I changed my mind for her, not for me."

"It was her choice then?" His voice was weak, broken. "She chose you?"

"Yeah."

"I thought so."

Silence ruled once more and though the tension was gone, John almost missed it as opposed to the heartbreak prevailing now. It pierced him, driving the guilt further into his heart. The Doctor's pain was a high price for his own happiness.

* * *

><p>"It's ready," The Doctor announced.<p>

Four heads whipped in quick succession as he and John entered the kitchen.

"It's time to go," he continued. "John and I will take the smaller Tardis. Leaving you all this Tardis in case we don't return. Should this happen, we're counting on you, River, to get the others home."

"Don't be stupid," River said. "The two of you will be killed if you go alone."

"Rassilon doesn't know John exists, or at least that he's here in the proper universe. We should be able to use this to our advantage."

"How exactly?" Rory asked. "I mean, its not like your plans have _ever_ gone wrong before."

"Rory's right, you know," River said. "Planning as you go won't work. Not this time, not with Father Stone."

"We'll be all right," John said.

"Back in time for breakfast, I should think," the Doctor added. "Really, we've dealt with him before."

"And barely lived to tell the tale," River scoffed.

"He didn't live actually," Rose said quietly. "Doctor, you regenerated last time... I don't think Rassilon will leave that option open again. And John..." Her eyes were pleading as they met his. "You've only got one life to give."

"It would be worth it," John whispered. "If we can stop him, whatever his plans may be. I would gladly give my life."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

The Doctor coughed uneasily. "Rose, we're not going to die."

"Because we'll be there too," Amy finally spoke. "You know you can't win. We're going and you can't stop us."

John touched the Doctor's shoulder. Eyes passing a silent conversation, they both nodded.

"We'll leave first thing in the morning... All of us."

* * *

><p>"John!" Rose cried. "John!"<p>

Still not fully awake, John shook his head, forcing off the last remnants of a troubled dream. He staggered from the bed just as Rose burst through the door, her face a picture of horror. Immediately, all traces of sleep left him as heart-wrenching worry pounded against him. His first thought was that she was hurt and he quickly scanned her for injuries. Finding none, his heart rate stilled just slightly. She was okay, she was safe.

"Rose, what's wrong?"

Tears streaming, Rose shook her head. "It's the Doctor... He's gone. River's taken him and he's _gone_!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN **Sorry this was short. But I really liked the ambiguous ending and couldn't bring myself to write more. And really it's a good thing it was short, cause now my plan is to either update again today if I have time, or tomorrow. Either way, the wait for a longer, meatier chapter won't be long.

Also, just as a side note, Heart of Diamond, brought up a good question. Time Lords aren't supposed to take aspirin because it can kill them. (I'm not really sure where this originally comes from, but I've heard it several times before) Yet in my story, the Doctor is taking painkillers. I simply assumed that Time Lords would have some other form of pain killers developed for their systems. This is why Rose is given pretty specific instructions as to what bottle she should get. I don't know if others have noticed, but I thought I would just clear it up, regardless.


	12. Chapter 12

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**The Tardis and Rassilon's Fortress- To the Rescue**

_"__It's the Doctor... He's gone. River's taken him and he's gone!" _

John gripped Rose's shoulders and she relaxed into his strength, allowing her breath to slow into a easy rhythm.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"I'm sure." She nodded, swiping away her tears. "Our Tardis is gone and he and River are both missing."

Rose watched as he processed what she said. His brow furrowed and his eyes searched hers, but she didn't see the confirmation in his gaze. In fact, his whole stance was totally disbelieving. Taking a step back, she felt it stab through her. The Doctor was missing and his would-be-murderer was to blame. So then why was John not listening?

"I don't know... I've been in her mind, Rose," he shook his head doubtfully. "I don't think she's to blame."

"She tried to kill him!"

"Rose."

He looked at her in the way Jackie sometimes looked at Tony, like she was being childish and she ought to know better. But couldn't he see? Rose hardly knew River and certainly she had known as much as evil as good from her. It was the the most logical assumption that she was responsible. It had to be River. And yet, even as she thought it, Rose knew she was being unfair, that jealousy and distrust blinded her. Still, she held to these emotions because her grip was failing at every other turn.

"Rose, think about it. What motivation has she got? We both know this was the Doctor. Its his favorite kind of deception. Leave your friends to take on the world single handedly."

"But he was supposed to take you... why take River and leave you behind?"

John's face softened and his eyes seemed to cradle her image, making Rose flood with unexpected warmth. She knew the answer even before he said it.

"He did it for you. He didn't want you to be alone. It's his last gift."

"But it won't be his last. We're not going to just standby and let him die."

"Course not." His trademark grin appeared, and she found it reflecting in her own smile. "We've got one more rescue to go."

* * *

><p>"Do we have a plan once we get there?" Rory asked.<p>

John turned towards him, disheveled hair and eyes larger than life adding to the manic smile he presented. "Do we need one?"

Smiling, Rose touched his arm lightly in an attempt to reign in his cockiness. "River thought we needed one, remember?"

"Bah, River's probably sitting in a cell right now. Mind you, she sits in the Stormcage cell whenever the Doctor hasn't landed her in some other one."

Nervous smiles passed all around, and the casual conversation continued, interspersed with occasional plans that hardly seemed possible. Hands gripping levers or spinning dials were taut and white in the glow of the rotor.

The Tardis landed and the smiles quickly dropped away. Only John seemed to have retained any sort of excitement as he bounced around to set extra security. Amy stepped close to Rory, taking his hand tightly. Rose reached for John's as soon as he had finished. The two couples watched the other intently, secretly wondering if they would see one another again, alive and well.

Solemnly, John extended two keys towards them. "They've got perception filters. It won't hide you from Rassilon, but it should get your through the hallways safely."

"Thank you," Amy said. "We'll see you in a couple hours."

"Yeah, a couple hours," John repeated, but it wasn't hard to hear the hesitancy in his voice.

"Good luck," Rose said, giving Amy a parting hug. "And be careful."

"You too."

Amy and Rory left, a cold stillness filling the empty space where they had stood. Rose shivered in it's frigid presence, fighting against the terrible possibilities that faced them. She didn't want to think about losing her new friends. She didn't want to lose anyone.

"All right, Rose," John began, "You've got your key, and the map, and-"

"I'll be fine," she promised, pushing up on her toes to kiss him once. "You have everything you need?"

"Think so."

Rose met his eyes, sensing all the worry and tension he had built up, feeling the same worry twist at her insides.

"Do we really have to split up?"

He nodded, his face sympathetic. "It's the best way."

"Please be careful, John."

"I'll try. And you too Rose. Don't take any unnecessary risks. Find River and get out of there as fast as you can."

"And you're sure she won't be with the Doctor?"

"Positive. Rassilon will have the Doctor where he can keep a strict eye on him."

"If he hasn't killed him yet..."

"He's alive, I can still feel his presence."

"How's your heart?"

"All right for now. He's safe."

"Promise me, you'll come back," she whispered, tears temporarily blinding her vision.

John met her eyes evenly, cupping her cheek with his hand.

"I don't like making promises I can't keep."

"John, please. For me."

He hesitated. "For you, I promise. I'll come back to you."

"I love you."

He smiled and nodded immediately. "Love you too, Rosie."

Her sight blurred with tears as he pushed her out the door with a soft kiss goodbye. The door snapped shut behind her, and suddenly her heart was racing at an unhealthy pace as fear made an appearance. Taking a deep breath, she wiped away her tears and squared her shoulders. There was work to be done, an adventure to be had, and an awful lot of running to do.

* * *

><p>Still worn out from recovery and overwork, the Doctor's body was already weak before the torture started. Now, the new injuries made movement almost impossible, and conscious thought a scrambled fight for control. Rassilon watched him from his throne, idly ordering punishments on a whim. With each new round of pain, the Doctor gritted his teeth and held to the one thought he could. Rose was far away and out of harm's way. John would take care of her, keep her safe. They would be happy. Over and over, this thought ran through his head, keeping him sane long after another man would have cracked. No matter what they did to him, they couldn't hurt him in any lasting, permanent way as long as she was out of their reach. And so despite, the pain, the bruises and the blood, he was at peace inside.<p>

Peace, until a single scream reverberated through the walls. His head shot up, and suddenly insanity didn't seem so far away. He knew that scream, knew the fury it raised in him, the desperation.

"Oh, what's this, Doctor?" Smiling with wicked enjoyment, Rassilon stood. "I think we have a guest."

* * *

><p><strong>AN **All right, so maybe I didn't get it up quite when I said I would, but one day late is better than like a month late, right? But look, we're starting to get to more some more action rather than anticlimatic, emotional, prepatory stuff!

Sooo, I decided yesterday, that I'm not really happy with most of characterizations, but since I've been doing it poorly this whole time, I don't think I can adjust them very well this far along. The saddest part of all, is that I think I understand River's character better than Amy and Rory because I've studied her so much, even if it was a tolerant/hate relationship. However, I personally feel like Amy's character wasn't as consistent from season 5 to 6. Or maybe it's just her growing up and maturing. I don't know. I think Rory's characterization has definitely been done well. I understand his character growth a lot more than Amy's. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Keep an eye out for somewhat steady updates in the near future.


	13. Chapter 13

**Of Assassinations and Reunions**

**Rassilon's Fortress- Tortured Souls**

"Let her go," The Doctor said his voice low and deadly. Across the room, Rassilon only laughed, his face full of malicious amusement and at his feet, Rose lay on crumpled knees. He yearned to be at her side, to press what little strength he had left into her, but heavy chains bound him at a distance. Too far to touch, but close enough to see the pain etched on her face.

"Now why would I do a thing like that?" Rassilon asked. He bent down, handling her bruised cheek, staring into her eyes. "This little thing is much too powerful to leave on her own."

"She's just a girl, just a human girl. This isn't her fight."

"Doctor, don't." Her voice rang with quiet firmness, though it was marked with an edge of pain. "It won't do any good."

"I'm afraid she's right you know." Rassilon continued, his voice strangely pleasant as if they were friends having a normal conversation. "This became her fight the moment she was born."

The Doctor shook his head. "Just let her go."

"Impossible. Rose and I are going to have grand time together, aren't we dear?"

He stroked her hair lightly and the Doctor hissed instinctively even as Rose jerked away. He glared through blood dripping from his forehead, hatred burning bright in his heart.

"As for you Doctor….." Rassilon strode towards him, his smile falling into a glower. "I'm afraid it just won't do to keep you alive. It just won't do at all."

"And just what will killing me accomplish? It won't bring back the time lords, it won't save Gallifrey."

Bitterness swelled in his mouth, a taste stronger than the tang of blood. Regret, anger, fear, he felt the swirl of emotions fighting for a space in his heart, begging for dominance. His body, wracked with tremors, didn't know which way to go, which thought to think. And Rassilon's stare, mesmerizing and all-powerful, threatened a thousand awful fates for the universe. Rose, turning to look at them, reminded him of all that he had all ready lost, everything this man had taken from him. He had destroyed the Doctor's home with a mere idea, stolen his mother in vengeful anger, and was now on the verge of taking all he still cared for. River, trapped in some hellhole prison. The Master, no doubt murdered on sight. And Rose, his precious Rose, battered and broken. And it wouldn't stop there. Somehow this man, this terrible man of power would find his others friends from Rory and Amy to Sarah Jane, no doubt kill his Tardis and murder the entire time-space continuum on his way.

"You're wrong. I will save Gallifrey and with your death no one will stand in my way."

"I will." John's familiar voice echoed in the silence that followed. The Doctor watched Rassilon's face as it pulled into an anger so strong it painted the very air around them. He forced away the shock, pulling again into his cool collected manner.

"An instantaneous human-time lord biological meta-crisis.," he finally said. "I'd didn't think it possible. Your heart must be very strong indeed to handle the strain."

"I manage." John replied curtly. "Now, I suggest you release my friends."

"You come with no weapons and expect me to answer to your demands? I think not."

Before the Doctor could even blink or think to give a warning, John was on his knees crying out in agony as Rassilon pumped pure energy into his chest. Rose went rigid, straining at her bindings, her eyes desperately searching for John's. Their gazes locked and in that look at thousand words passed, only the least of which was I love you. The Doctor looked away, still having the time to feel heart break when only the danger of the situation should have struck him.

"How's the heart feeling?" Rassilon taunted. "Still strong enough for you?"

John tried to answer, but could barely even breathe in the aftermath of his shock, let alone speak. His legs trembled, threatening to give out. Through their telepathic bond, the Doctor felt his pain resonating in his mind, echoing off his own lingering pain, the two frequencies amplifying the more they met. In a matter of minutes, both of them would be incapacitated, leaving Rose to fend for herself. This realization hit them simultaneously, inspiring a new wave of strength. She couldn't be left alone.

"Unfortunately, Doctors, I only have a limited amount of time, so I'll to make this quick. The question is, who shall I kill first?"

Rassilon paced back and forth, looking between the Doctor and John repeatedly, frowning like a child in the candy aisle who can't decide what they want. Finally, he spun on his heel turning to face Rose instead.

Instantly, the Doctor was on his feet, ignoring the blinding pain and overwhelming head ache. John, too, straightened, pulling out his screwdriver as the only available weapon.

"If you hurt her…." John's face blazed with ferocity, ready to give anything for her protection.

"Well, well, well," Rassilon turned around, grinning viciously. "Look at this new development. You love her too, don't you? Our little Rose has certainly been busy. So tell me, dear, which Doctor shall I kill first?"

Rose shook her head, disgust emanating from her face. She tugged again at the ties on her wrist, knowing it would prove useless.

"May the void swallow you and never spit you back out," she spat angrily. The Doctor couldn't help the small grin at her interesting word choice. How appropriate coming from a girl who had crossed the void more times than any human had ever dared before.

"You're quite the little spit fire aren't you? No matter, a decision must be made and if you won't make it, then I will."

He pointed to John, letting more lightning energy split across the distance. Again, he cried out, this time falling almost immediately to the floor. The screaming in the Doctor's head reached new volumes, pressing louder and louder both internally and in the real world. John writhed uncontrollably, his fingers clenching on empty air, trying to find some kind of purchase. Rose screamed as well, great sobbing cries, full of anguish and loathing. She begged and pleaded, tears coursing down her face. Like a trapped animal, she struggled ever harder to free her hands, causing blood to flow from the broken skin on her wrists. And through it all, the Doctor watched helplessly. Too connected to John's mind to free himself from the pain, he began to doubt if he could even live through John's death. He felt so connected, the sheer agony so real. He was sure his body would burn out with his other self.

Only the timely arrival of a guard, saved his life and sanity. Rassilon withdrew the torture, and John fell absolutely still, forced unconscious by the pain. The Doctor held on to wakefulness only by nature of his two hearts. Rose stopped her screaming, but worked ceaselessly now against the ropes.

"Sir, there's a level five situation in the cell block."

Rassilon let loose one cosmic shout, reverberating in the mental space more than the physical world, before he fell back into a deathly calm. He bore down on the guard his gaze huge and intimidating.

"What happened?"

"Sir, we don't know. There was an electric disruption and then suddenly prisoners were on the loose. They're armed, sir, and in full rebellion."

"Impossible." Rassilon paused, throwing and uneasy glance at the Doctor and then at Rose. "Make sure Prisoner 1 is killed immediately. I want him dead before he causes me anymore trouble. I should have finished him when I had the chance. As for the rest of them, do what you want. Alive or dead, they're of minimal importance to me."

"Yes, sir."

The guard hurried from the room, no doubt grateful to still be alive. He had almost made it to the door, when Rassilon gave one final thought.

"And if that man isn't dead in the next five minutes, then I assure you, you will be, Lieutenant."

The man nodded his head, his eyes dilating in fear as he ducked out the door.

"Well, Doctor, congratulations. Your little humans downstairs have made quite the stir."

Through labored breaths, the Doctor spoke, "Humans always have a way exceeding expectations."

"They won't last five minutes against my guard. They're not fighters or even strategists. A strong heart and good intentions only get you so far."

The Doctor grimaced because he knew it was true. Of his friends, only River would be remotely prepared for the skill of Rassilon's men. Even if they could make it out of the prison level, the sheer numbers awaiting them between here and there could defeat them no matter the skill level. He swallowed heavily, closing his eyes, trying not to see the timelines tangling every which way in his head. There were so many variables so much going on, any given timeline was only a billionth of a possibility. But in every one, death loomed as an inescapable end, the inevitable reality he would have to face.

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><p><strong>AN **Been awhile, I know. But summer is growing on me, getting me anxious to write again. I really want to finish this soon though, just so I can focus solely on 100 songs. I think I'll probably 'retire' once I finish both projects. It's so long between updates now, it practically feels like I'm done anyway. I don't want to abandon stories though, so I'm for sure planning to finish. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


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